The Stonekeeper – Kazu Kibuishi

I guess I’m in my graphic novel era now because I wandered into the Indigo kids section and was immediately intrigued by the Amulet series. I’ve never really been a comic book/graphic novel reader but with nostalgia on my mind, I had to pick up this series! I had a vague sense of familiarity when it came to the book and I couldn’t wait to dive in. 

The story 

The Amulet series follows Emily, a young girl who watches her father tragically pass away in a car accident. As a result, the rest of her family – her mother, and brother – and Emily, are forced to move to another city where Emily’s mother has a family home that looks practically abandoned. The home seems haunted by a mysterious missing grandfather that apparently disappeared and hasn’t been seen since. As they clean out the house, they discover an amulet and Emily takes it with her.

During their first night in the mysterious mansion, the family hears a noise from the basement and Emily’s mother goes to investigate, finding herself trapped in an alternate universe and swallowed whole by some bug-like creature? It’s up to Emily and her brother to figure out what’s going on and how to save their mother. 

Thoughts 

For a middle-grade graphic novel, it was incredibly well-done! The writing was easy to read, the graphics were amazing and so iconically engaging. 

With side characters like Miskit, a talking Rabbit, I found myself feeling super nostalgic. It’s like I recognized him before but I can’t remember reading the books! 

I’m looking forward to reading the next one and seeing where the story takes us. An alternate universe is always such a fun idea and it gives the author so much freedom to explore their creativity! 

Rating: 4/5⭐️